Happy Father's Day!

Hey Dads! It's your day. A day where you get to feel more loved then usually hopefully, where the Cavs one the title (still not sure how I feel about this) and hopefully you were reminded yet again how big of a role you play into your family's life. So, first up: Here's to all you Dad!!

To My Dad-in-Law:

Thank you for teaching your son how to be an amazing father. Thank you for teaching him how to stand up for himself in a strong and loving way. Thank you for giving my husband a large sense of hope that drives him to fulfill his dreams. I tell Ju everyday how happy you would be if you were here. Thank you for being a family man. Thank you for having such a large heart regardless of difficult situations that came your way. Thank you for your laugher and jokes that still live on in our home today. (barking spiders anyone?)

To my Dad:

Thank you for teaching how to be resourceful with my ideas. When my gears start turning and I'm making something out of nothing, I owe a large part of that to you.

Thank you for helping me understand that power of less is sometimes more in conversation. You are a man of many words when needed and no words at all when it's needed even more. It's a part of me that I try to refine more and more each day.

Thank you for teaching me how to ride a 4 wheeler, how I view situations and how to love in my marriage regardless of our differences. You are a great supportive role for mom when she needs it most.

To the Father to our Children:

Thank you for being honest and teaching our children how to be happy and strong. Thank you for loving every single person that you come in contact with. Thank you for being by bear. Thank you for being our kids go-to for a fun time. Thank you for working with me on being a great parent. Thank you for your willingness to learn from past mistakes. Thank you for your example of humility to admit when you are wrong and a having a desire to do what is best and what is right for our family. Thank you for strength and guidance. Thank you for your leadership examples. Thank you for your humor. Thank you for your tickles and fort building skills. Thank you for admitting that I will always make the best cookies. Thank you for loving our children more then everyone else it this world. Thank you for putting God first. Thank you for showing out daughter how a man should treat her. Thank you for showing our son how to treat a woman. Thank you for your friendship, the laughs, and that tough loving times we have had while trying our best to raise decent human beings at minimum that we would want to be friends with later in life. Thanks for the biggest amount of love that our family has ever felt. I love you. I know Zoey and Jett love you. You are very loved babe. XOXO

Happy Father's Day!

And again, Happy Father's Day to ALL!

Fall Break Saved My Baby, and me: Best Baby book ever!!

Friday, October 18 my family and I spent a night at my sisters house in SLC.  We talked back and forth about our little ones, (her son is only 5 days younger then my baby girl) and she mentioned how she has put her little guy on a schedule and it has been the best thing for him.  The more we talked me more I thought about trying but I still had reservations about it. Zoey can literally cry for hours if is she mad enough and will forgo sleep because she is so worked up.

My sister kindly persisted and I figured that it wouldn't hurt to try.  It' was 9:00a.m. and according to this schedule it would be nap time for Zoey, so I went into my sisters room where my baby's pack and play was and laid Zoey down.  She made little noises and I gave her a kiss and walked out of the room.  I sat down on the couch and started reading this book that gave the schedule and 20 minutes went by and I realized that I didn't hear any crying, screaming or moving.  I walked into where Zoey was and she was passed out.  It was a FLUKE!

Next nap time came and I put her down.  The same thing happened. She fell right asleep with no problem and she did this for the rest of day and has been since then.  You guys!!! MY BABY WENT FROM NIGHT TO DAY!! Seriously!

The book is called Baby Wise

Literally saved my life.

click here to by from Amazon

As I read the book, I realized that it breaks it up for you in each stage and that this is a book that is catered to your baby and not the other way around.. Such a great book to be a first time mom in my opinion.  It goes over, bottle and breast feeding, naps and playtime.

This book was a huge blessing and help with my children.

Seriously Simple Cheese Ball

This is a cheese ball.

SOOO GOOD. and easy and out right DARN delicious.
Thanks to my mother-in-law for the recipe.

1 package of cream cheese, soften to room temperature
1 bottle of Old English (it's an orange cheese sauce)
2 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon of Onion Powder
dash or two of Worcestershire sauce (you bet I looked at the bottle to know how to spell it)

Mix all together in a bowl and let it thicken in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Eat with Ritz, Wheat Thins, Chicken in a Biscuit and Toll House Crackers.

For a Fancy Cheese Ball:
Once cheese is firmed together, scoop it all up and form into a ball.  Roll in sliced almonds, crasins, or walnuts.

ENJOY! :)
i know we do every time.

Different but Same

So there was this one time where I ran a successful blog and gained a lot of recognition and support and then it just ended. It is strange how life does that. No, I didn't quit. No, I didn't give up. I let it end because it needed to. I am happy with that.

Don't get me wrong, I loved sharing heartfelt stories about challenges and finding love and joy in life. I even met some great friends a long the way! I think I just realized that it wasn't for me right now. It may be something I pick up again. But for now, my family blog is where I want to be.

So here I am. Just me, myself and the good ole' Mac.

I'm excited to spend more time using my blog as a way of a journal of my life and document my family and what not. Sounds typical right?? Well, you would be correct!

Feel free to read or not read. Leave a comment if you love something or just graze here and there.

Either way, thank you, you are welcome and hopefully you find something you like here.


Now it is time for some reflection that may or may not pertain to you. Whatever. I still like you even if you don't continue reading.


Before I starting posting stories onto my Trying & Truthful blog (it's no longer available but I can post the stories with permission if interested) I was going through this time where I felt very alone. I feel like I have always felt alone. I can remember dwelling on my days with a 2 year old and an infant and doing the whole, "oh whoa is me, my life is so hard, blah blah blah," and I just knew in my mind that I was the only one who knows what busy with kids, school and a overly busy husband.

Now, before you go, oh rude, or I've felt that way and/or now I feel dumb, STOP! and continue reading please.

I then started reading these stories about these women who's lives were full of drugs, and mental illness, and jail time, and heart surgery. While these are huge events that literally alter a person, what I realized is that even though I haven't had these dramatic experiences (my life seemed quite boring actually) we all have our own (viewer digression is advised) shit/crap/junk/weight. I have my hard stuff, these women had theirs, and you, Yes you the reader, you have yours. In this very moment I realized that my whaling in self pity wasn't needed because I was wrong. I was far from alone. What makes us the same, makes a different. While I thought I was so alone, others were thinking the same things about their own personal crap. And it's far from the truth to feel like you are alone, although I believe everyone is entitled to how they way to feel, I'm just offering perspective is all.

Boy did my perspective change these past couple of months. Now I do still tend to whollow and get down about my human self and think if I were perfect I wouldn't have these issues. (bahahahahhaha) being perfect. "Good one Linds!" I know one day it may happen, but for now, I am perfectly imperfect and I view that as a perfection and so I'm really probably almost there right??

We are the same in that we all fall, succeed, have baggage, show love and hate, hug and fight. This is also what makes us different. Because its at different times, for different reasons and different lessons. Make sense?

I think the reason why I bring this up is that because, like I said, I have felt alone. No, I don't find this weird sense of joy that others lives are just as crappy as mine sometimes. I've tried that and it doesn't make me feel better. I find joy in the knowledge that I am now relatable to someone and others are relatable to me.

Knowing this, I try to show more love and compassion towards people. They need it just as much as I have craved it for most of my life.

Now, how was that for an, "I AM BACK SNITCHES!!!" post?

But seriously, please be kind to those you meet. Find your own way of showing love towards others. We are different, but we are the same. I think it's all simply beautiful. Please don't hesitate to add your perspective here also!

-LindseyLou